John Lydon ‘anti-religious’ painting used as new Public Image Ltd album cover

Public Image Ltd. have shared the artwork for their upcoming new album. Scroll below to see the artwork.

The post-punk group will release their tenth studio record, titled ‘What The World Needs Now…’, on September 4, preceded by lead single ‘Double Trouble’ on August 21. Having described the new album as “timeless” and “ahead of the pack”, frontman John Lydon has now unveiled its cover art, hand-painted by Lydon himself, and discussed the art with Rolling Stone.

Lydon says that he chose to include the Native American Hopi Kachina clown because “I thought as a purveyor of good tidings, he would be very apt for this cover”.

He continues: “the title is exactly that kind of approach. In lieu of how everybody’s ever so eager to departmentalise themselves and kill each other because of their differences, how I see the world is vastly different. Our differences are what make us so complete, not the other way around. So it’s an anti-religious statement, really, of sorts.”

“Muslim, Christian, any of them, they’re problem givers not solvers. They all end up crusading in their mentality and are all about eliminating opposition really. Nothing that ISIS or what this lot are up to at the moment is any different from what the Crusades were, bearing in mind the 10-century gap.”

The band have also announced details of an upcoming tour of the UK and Europe. Lydon and co will kick off a 23-date stretch in Glasgow during September, before playing Manchester, Bristol, London and other major cities.

PiL will then play several Europeans dates, with North American shows to be announced. See their live schedule in full below.

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